Help Veterans Experience Less Pain Study (HELP-Vets)

Pain Clinical Trial

— HELP-Vets  

Official title:

Validation of Pain as a Vital Sign Among Veterans With Advanced Illness

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00230932
• Other study ID #: IIR 03-150
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: September 29, 2005
• Last updated: April 6, 2015
• Start date: October 2005
• Est. completion date: September 2008

Study information

• Verified date: November 2008
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Our purpose is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the '5th vital sign' in everyday practice settings and to compare the relationship of pain to other symptoms and pain treatment in patients with cancer, CHF, and patients with complex general medical illness and poor self-reported health.

Description:

Background/Rationale: The Veterans Administration (VA) faces a substantial challenge in trying to improve symptomatic care. An important priority is how to ensure pain relief. Studies show that pain is a major symptom for patients with advanced chronic illness in general. Drawing upon different clinical paradigms for the evaluation and treatment of pain, this study focuses on improving measurement and interpretation of routine pain screening in ambulatory VA patients as an important step to improving end-of-life care. Objective(s): In a variety of outpatient settings (hospital-based, large outpatient multi-specialty, and community-based) at the VA Greater Los Angeles (GLA) and Long Beach (LB) Healthcare Systems, we conducted surveys to capture patient, nurse, and clinician perspectives to evaluate the reliability and validity of pain as a 5th vital sign. We assessed skills that may be associated with pain measurement practices of nursing staff. Clinician knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the need to alleviate pain detected on routine screening were evaluated. Methods: Screen, enroll, and survey 650 cognitively intact patients with advanced CHF, cancer, and advanced general medical illness stratified by self-reported health status immediately after they are seen in outpatient clinics (general medicine, oncology, and cardiology clinics). Patients were approached and surveyed immediately after the outpatient visit on validated pain instruments, measures of depression, other symptoms, quality of life, attitudinal barriers to treatment of pain, the pain rating process, and unmet needs and satisfaction with treatment of pain, depression, and other symptoms. All nursing staff working as pain raters in the general medicine, oncology, and cardiology clinics were surveyed to assess relevant skills that may be associated with pain measurement practices. All clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) working as treatment providers in these clinics were surveyed after patient visits to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of clinicians with regard to the need to alleviate pain detected on routine screening. Results: We found that in approximately 50% of cases, clinic staff taking vital signs used informal (e.g., 'How do you feel?') rather than forma (e.g., 0-10 NRS) methods to assess pain, and that practice was associated with underestimation of patient-reported pain to research staff in about 30% of cases. Factors associated with underestimation of patient reported pain to nurses compared with research raters included more years of staff work experience, patient anxiety or PTSD disorders, and lower self-reported health. Overestimation was associated with adherence to the formal NRS and negatively associated with a better environment for pain rating. About 40% of patients had emotional distress which was higher among patients in moderate to severe pain (62%). Only prior diagnosis and sleep interference due to pain were associated with provider detection of distress. Status: Enrollment is closed; IRB approved at VA GLA and LB Healthcare Systems.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 654
• Est. completion date: September 2008
• Est. primary completion date: June 2007
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients seeking care in VA outpatient primary care, oncology, cardiology, or community based outpatient clinics, for advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, and advanced, complex general medical illness stratified by self-reported health.

• Patients will be screened for fair or poor general medical health status, health conditions (cancer, CHF), cognition and ability to complete a researcher-assistant guided survey (e.g., hearing intact).

• All nursing staff and pain treatment staff (resident and staff physician, PA, NP) in general medicine, oncology, and cardiology care at selected study sites and related community-based clinics will be asked to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are hearing and/or cognitively impaired.

• Patients who do not speak English.

Study Design

Observational Model: Cohort, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Heart Failure
• Heart Failure, Congestive
• Pain
• Signs and Symptoms

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA	West Los Angeles	California

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Office of Research and Development

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (19)

Cadogan MP, Edelen MO, Lorenz KA, Jones M, Yosef J, Hascall T, Simon B, Harker JO, Ferrell B, Saliba D. The relationship of reported pain severity to perceived effect on function of nursing home residents. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Sep;63(9):969 — View Citation

Dy SM, Asch SM, Lorenz KA, Weeks K, Sharma RK, Wolff AC, Malin JL. Quality of end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer in an academic medical center. J Palliat Med. 2011 Apr;14(4):451-7. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2010.0434. Epub 2011 Mar 10. — View Citation

Goebel JR, Doering LV, Evangelista LS, Nyamathi AM, Maliski SL, Asch SM, Sherbourne CD, Shugarman LR, Lanto AB, Cohen A, Lorenz KA. A comparative study of pain in heart failure and non-heart failure veterans. J Card Fail. 2009 Feb;15(1):24-30. doi: 10.101 — View Citation

Goebel JR, Doering LV, Shugarman LR, Asch SM, Sherbourne CD, Lanto AB, Evangelista LS, Nyamathi AM, Maliski SL, Lorenz KA. Heart failure: the hidden problem of pain. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2009 Nov;38(5):698-707. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.04.022. Ep — View Citation

Goebel JR, Sherbourne CD, Asch SM, Meredith L, Cohen AB, Hagenmaier E, Lanto AB, Simon B, Rubenstein LV, Shugarman LR, Lorenz KA. Addressing patients' concerns about pain management and addiction risks. Pain Manag Nurs. 2010 Jun;11(2):92-8. doi: 10.1016/j — View Citation

Grudzen CR, Koenig WJ, Hoffman JR, Boscardin WJ, Lorenz KA, Asch SM. Potential impact of a verbal prehospital DNR policy. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2009 Apr-Jun;13(2):169-72. doi: 10.1080/10903120802471923. — View Citation

Grudzen CR, Timmermans S, Koenig WJ, Torres JM, Hoffman JR, Lorenz KA, Asch SM. Paramedic and emergency medical technicians views on opportunities and challenges when forgoing and halting resuscitation in the field. Acad Emerg Med. 2009 Jun;16(6):532-8. d — View Citation

Lorenz KA, Krebs EE, Bentley TG, Sherbourne CD, Goebel JR, Zubkoff L, Lanto AB, Asch SM. Exploring alternative approaches to routine outpatient pain screening. Pain Med. 2009 Oct;10(7):1291-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00709.x. — View Citation

Lorenz KA, Sherbourne CD, Shugarman LR, Rubenstein LV, Wen L, Cohen A, Goebel JR, Hagenmeier E, Simon B, Lanto A, Asch SM. How reliable is pain as the fifth vital sign? J Am Board Fam Med. 2009 May-Jun;22(3):291-8. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2009.03.080162. — View Citation

Lorenz KA, Shugarman LR, Lynn J. Health care policy issues in end-of-life care. J Palliat Med. 2006 Jun;9(3):731-48. — View Citation

Malin JL, O'Neill SM, Asch SM, Dy SM, Walling AM, Tisnado D, Antonio AL, Lorenz KA. Quality of supportive care for patients with advanced cancer in a VA medical center. J Palliat Med. 2011 May;14(5):573-7. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2010.0464. Epub 2011 Mar 17. — View Citation

Riopelle D, Wagner GJ, Steckart J, Lorenz KA, Rosenfeld KE. Evaluating a palliative care intervention for veterans: challenges and lessons learned in a longitudinal study of patients with serious illness. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011 Jun;41(6):1003-14. doi — View Citation

Seow H, Snyder CF, Mularski RA, Shugarman LR, Kutner JS, Lorenz KA, Wu AW, Dy SM. A framework for assessing quality indicators for cancer care at the end of life. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2009 Dec;38(6):903-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.04.024. Epub . — View Citation

Sherbourne CD, Asch SM, Shugarman LR, Goebel JR, Lanto AB, Rubenstein LV, Wen L, Zubkoff L, Lorenz KA. Early identification of co-occurring pain, depression and anxiety. J Gen Intern Med. 2009 May;24(5):620-5. doi: 10.1007/s11606-009-0956-2. Epub 2009 Mar — View Citation

Shugarman LR, Asch SM, Meredith LS, Sherbourne CD, Hagenmeier E, Wen L, Cohen A, Rubenstein LV, Goebel J, Lanto A, Lorenz KA. Factors associated with clinician intention to address diverse aspects of pain in seriously ill outpatients. Pain Med. 2010 Sep;1 — View Citation

Shugarman LR, Goebel JR, Lanto A, Asch SM, Sherbourne CD, Lee ML, Rubenstein LV, Wen L, Meredith L, Lorenz KA. Nursing staff, patient, and environmental factors associated with accurate pain assessment. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Nov;40(5):723-33. doi: 1 — View Citation

Stone SC, Mohanty SA, Gruzden C, Lorenz KA, Asch SM. Emergency department research in palliative care: challenges in recruitment. J Palliat Med. 2009 Oct;12(10):867-8. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2009.0139. — View Citation

Walling AM, Asch SM, Lorenz KA, Roth CP, Barry T, Kahn KL, Wenger NS. The quality of care provided to hospitalized patients at the end of life. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jun 28;170(12):1057-63. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.175. — View Citation

Zubkoff L, Lorenz KA, Lanto AB, Sherbourne CD, Goebel JR, Glassman PA, Shugarman LR, Meredith LS, Asch SM. Does screening for pain correspond to high quality care for veterans? J Gen Intern Med. 2010 Sep;25(9):900-5. doi: 10.1007/s11606-010-1301-5. Epub 2 — View Citation

* Note: There are 19 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	patient reported pain to nurses (NRS) compared to research raters (NRS, BPI)		cross sectional, visit based	No